Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Believe it or not, although I'll be the first to own up to my own sweets obsession, I've never really been one of those girls (or guys) with the chocolate obsession. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, but thankfully I've never suffered from the chocolate cravings that afflict so many others. Except once. And now I can completely commiserate. It hit me hard and out of the blue, and I knew that one of the chocolate Dove squares my mother swears by just wasn't going to cut it. I needed CHOCOLATE--warm, ooey, gooey, fudgey, chocolate. And as usual, my old standby the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook did not disappoint. It is so good in fact that it has been a favorite since the January 1944 issue of BH&G magazine.

This chocolate brownie pudding was everything I was looking for: comfortingly warm, deliciously rich and, most importantly, fast! Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe was waiting for the finished product to cool on the countertop for a little bit so that the devilishly dark fudge sauce can come together. That's right, this dessert even makes its own sauce. Chocolate Heaven.

Feel free to add any of your favorite sundae toppings--walnuts, whipped topping or vanilla ice cream would all be great. but for purists and chocoholics out there that need chocolate NOW, this chocolate brownie pudding is also just perfect as is in its unadultered chocolate glory.

Brownie Pudding

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbs cooking oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, granulated sugar, 2 Tbs cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk, oil and vanilla. Stir in the walnuts, if using.

2. Pour batter into prepared pan. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and the 1/4 cup cocoa powder; stir in the boiling water. Slowly pour the mixture over the batter.

3. Bake for 40 minutes, cool on a wire rack for 45-60 minutes, serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

About Me

While I have no pretense that this blog should ever approach anything that could be compared to the likes of "Martha" and/or "Stewart," this collection of recipes and observations on my life in Washington, DC and beyond is for anyone that likes to bake simply for the joy of it and is looking for new and fun dessert recipes, reviews and a place to share.